Between the Lines
by MM08
Summary: Literary fan Kurosaki Ichigo meets his favorite author and what results he would have never expected. AU. Yaoi. Enjoy.
1. Chapter 1

Up and up the stairs Ichigo ran, an envelope clutched tightly to his chest. The mail hadn't come for a few days due to a postal strike. Ichigo was now in a panic as he had only just now received a ticket to a book signing with Aizen Sousuke. The world-renowned author was on his book tour for the release of the eighth in the series. Ichigo had been ecstatic until he realized that the signing ended in two hours.

He bolted to his room and frantically shuffled through his copies of Infinity Mirror 1 through 8. Ichigo glanced back and forth between two shelves, one containing his copies that were worn, frayed and earmarked from being read through cover to cover multiple times, and his pristine set of collector copies; each of which contained an original sketch from Aizen Sousuke himself. Some he had to get on preorder for a good chunk of his high school paycheck, some he was lucky enough to hunt down online and one that had been sold for 100 yen at a garage sale.

_Oh crud oh crud oh crud._ Ichigo thought evaluating his choices. _Maybe he's only signing the new books? But what if he isn't? A full collector's set is nearly impossible to get, but maybe he'll just think I'd some spoiled rich kid. The crap set shows that I've been reading them a lot, but will that just make me look obsessed? Gah they look like shit anyway."_

…

…

Ichigo unzipped his backpack, dumped all 16 books in it, zipped it back up and left.

"I'll just pick when I get there."

Since elementary school Ichigo became an instant fan of his first book. A fantastic story about two enemies who were fated to duel against each other through time, cursed to live forever and throughout the ages. The first book had taken place in ancient Mesopotamian times and now eight books later was going into the late Renaissance, the war between Cain and Abel still waging a war of wit, finesse and resourcefulness. As Ichigo grew up loving and reading the Infinity Mirror series the world did with him. Author Aizen Sousuke was dubbed the 'Shakespeare of the East,' for his ability to appeal to the general public with a captivating tale of adventure, betrayal, love and sacrifice; meanwhile literary critics and historians the world over gave him high praise and awards for his use of deep psychological themes and integration of historical accuracy without ruining the integrity.

Ichigo's fandom peaked in high school when he found any excuse to use the Infinity Mirror series as a topic for a paper or project. His literature teacher at first was annoyed by this, then found through grading Ichigo's papers that he had put much thought and analysis into the novels, being able to draw out surprising numbers of themes, archetypes and nuance to discuss.

This obsession of Ichigo's went well into his senior year of college, where he was now studying a double major of Literature and Pre-Med. He was in his last semester before graduating and couldn't wait for it to be over.

"Holy..." The line out of Tokyo's Kinokuniya bookstore wrapped around the block twice. A couple police cars were parked to guide traffic and keep the hordes of fans who lined up safe. A horrible feeling filled his gut knowing that he only had an hour left after the train ride until the signing ended. With a heavy, but hopeful heart Ichigo dashed to the end of the line and flashed the bookstore employee manning it his ticket.

"Oh you don't need to worry about this line sir," she explained pleasantly. "That's a premium ticket. Just show that at the main entrance and someone will show you to a shorter line."

Ichigo's eyes went wide and he rushed out a thank you as he started dashing the other way. Hundreds of fans were lined up clutching their copies of volume eight that had released a week earlier. Even though he had a regular and collector's edition preordered and delivered early Ichigo still had gone to the midnight release at this same store for the sake of hanging out with other fans.

Ichigo finally made it to the end of the premium line, which still stretched halfway through the large store, but it was still only a tiny fraction of the regular line. Taking a deep breath Ichigo tried to calm down, clutching the straps of his backpack that held the weight of his fandom, waiting for the line to inch forward.

And finally, there he was. Aizen Sousuke always had such a scholarly air, no matter if it was in pictures, on television programs or here in the flesh. Though none of those could compare to the intensity of the latter. Ichigo felt giant butterflies trying to tear through his stomach as his throat went dry. He swallowed his saliva hoping he would have a voice by the time he reached the signing table.

Finally, after what seemed like eons, Ichigo was standing before his hero, separated by a mere piece of furniture. Aizen smiled softly, if not quizzically as Ichigo unzipped his backpack. As gently as possible Ichigo get down his two stacks of books onto the table. This seemed nearly impossible with his hands trembling as much as they were. As soon as the books were down he stuffed his hands into his pockets.

"I um...thought I would let you choose." He said with a nervous grin.

Aizen blinked at the twin columns of his books for a second. Then he laughed softly with delight at the enthusiastic fan that had been carrying the weight of his works twofold on his back.

"I must say. It's refreshing to see a cover handed to me other than the latest," the author said with a smile.

With the tenderness of a father holding his newborn, Aizen shifted volume one from Ichigo's well-read stack and placed it on the table in from of him. Being easily the most fragile looking of the tomes Aizen gingerly opened the cover. He paused, mid-turn, Ichigo panicked to think what he could have possibly done wrong.

"Ichigo Kurosaki?"

"Y-yeah?" He glanced down and noticed his name written inside the cover in his shaky middle school calligraphy.

"Surely not BlackCloak15?"

…

…

Ichigo felt like a volcano of embarrassment had erupted inside his chest. He could feel its heat filling his body making his skin flush cartoonishly red. Somehow his simultaneous hero, role-model and god knew his forum username.

"Um...yes actually... that's uh...that's me..."

"Pleased to meet you finally. You probably know me on the Infinitely-Mirrored forum as Indigo."

…

…

"Wait what?"

Ichigo now felt like he had just received a punch to the gut. That couldn't be. This had to be some weird, sick joke. There was no way that Aizen Sousuke not only knew about his Infinity Mirror fan forum, but also was an active participant. His head raced, skimming through his thoughts of what he might have posted over the past few years that might be remotely embarrassing or insulting, but couldn't come up with anything immediately.

"I try to keep an eye on what fans think of my work. It's much easier after the renaissance of the internet and the invisible ring it provides. I believe the books are equally owned by myself as much as the audience. Your message board is particularly well moderated and thoughtful so I find myself there if I find the time."

"Since there's no one else to tend to let's take a look at what you've brought."

The signing was technically over as employees came to start clearing away dividers that had controlled customer traffic and temporary bookshelves were now completely emptied of the crisp, new, shiny copies of Infinity Mirror. As everything cleared out around them Ichigo sat across from his idol as one by one they went through each of Ichigo's books. Ichigo proceeded to share at what time in his life he had read each one and how it had impacted him. Something that he never went into great detail on the forum before. Aizen in turn would comment briefly on where he had been in his life as he had written each one. He had an intricate autograph of classically penned calligraphy in both the western alphabet supplemented with his kanji. He would take the small stains from the well-used volumes and trace them into small drawings of landscapes in some and doodles of his characters in others. In the first volume there was now a heartwarming picture of child Ichigo holding open a book with a look of wonder.

Ichigo had to suppress that same look of wonder watching Aizen transform his careless finger smudges and creases into delicate vignettes, the whole while holding a conversation as if they had been friends for years. Ichigo supposed they had considering their pseudo-friendship that had been established over the forum. Ichigo got another pang of awe and disbelief realizing that he had communicated with the man for so long without realizing it.

Their conversation was suddenly interrupted by a telephone ring,

"Sorry, I need to take this," Aizen listened as he continued to add a few more flourishes to his drawing. "Yes, alright Kyouka. No, I understand I will see you in Nara then."

"Girlfriend?" Ichigo inquired, knowing that Aizen wasn't married.

Aizen cocked an eyebrow as he pocketed his phone, "Editor. We had a dinner meeting at the hotel tonight, but it seems her train is late. Perhaps you would like to join me? The hotel has a very nice restaurant; it would be a shame for the reservation to go to waste."

Ichigo couldn't believe he was actually awake. Only in his dreams would world-renowned author, genius and savant Aizen Sousuke ask him to dinner.

"I-I-I...it would be an honor."

.~'~. . ~'~.

Less than an hour later Ichigo found himself feeling a little out of place in the classy restaurant in the clothes he had worn to class that morning. He relaxed a little knowing that if he left his designer jacket on, he might blend in enough. Aizen fit into this world perfectly with his intelligent, cultured air and tailored burgundy sports coat. The food had an excellent presentation and aroma. However, Ichigo was having a hard time gathering up an appetite in the presence of his hero.

"I must say your insight has fascinated me for a while now." Aizen stated handing the wine list back to the sommelier.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Not really sure what the differences were between the hundreds of reds and whites available he ordered whatever Aizen was having.

As the sommelier left Aizen took out his phone and deftly flicked the screen around until he reached something.

"This post of yours is what first piqued my curiosity. _I did a reread of book 5 over the weekend. I know we have already talked about the impact of Elsa's death on Abel, but there's a few things I didn't notice until now. There were tiny hints that she was trying hard to hide her illness from him. But these occurrences were so frequent we accepted them as quirks in her personality. So when her death came so suddenly we felt Abel's pain even more with that shared sense that we should have seen it coming. The vicarious pain I felt from Aizen-sensei's words was so strong that I feel he must have suffered a similar loss to be able to express that feeling so thoroughly."_

Ichigo gulped a lump in his throat. He knew it was silly but his first thought was that he might have insulted him somehow.

"I wrote that after receiving the news that my sister had died." Aizen sighed and took off his glasses, tucking them into his pocket. His face was neutral though and Ichigo was unsure of how to respond.

"Oh, I'm...sorry to hear that…"

"She had fought a long fight with cystic fibrosis. When she died I felt terrible grief, worsened by the guilt of having become complacent with her illness and forgetting how sick she was. I didn't prepare myself for the inevitability of her young death. Thereare several other posts of this nature. You have astonishing skill at reading people's hearts, Kurosaki Ichigo."

"But I can't have been the only one who noticed." Ichigo was stunned. He didn't think that it had been a particularly unusual observation. Though he supposed other folks might not have read that book fourteen times already. Still, he felt weirdly exposed and vulnerable that the author of his favorite series ever had all of his opinions now literally in the palm of his hand.

"My editor and I keep up to date with the critics and academic literary journals. No one else had picked up on that subtly. I myself did not even see the parallel, or at least how deep deeply it affected my words. When I read that post I felt the wind had been knocked from me."

Ichigo had a hard time imagining this calm, collected individual experiencing such things as mortal emotions. Of course, until today Ichigo never conceptualized celebrities as somewhat regular people you could contact on a personal basis. Everything went better than expected, however, as Aizen paid for the meal and offered Ichigo a ride home.

Aizen had been a bit taken aback, upon reading some of BlackCloak15's analysis of his work. Somehow this faceless name on a small, but eloquent board had picked up on details in his work that not even the most praised literary critics had even touched on. Not only that, but this male, age 20, located in Japan had even picked up on some of his thought processes and feelings that he had been going through when writing certain parts. Many of those thoughts and feelings he did not even realize himself until they were so eloquently typed out before him. Charmed by this anonymous character Aizen had joined the discussions of the forum to gently coax out more of his insight.

More than pleased with what he found Aizen put in a request with some of his more shady acquaintances to find the person on the other side of the screen. As soon as he got the manila file back with all the information that could be found about the young man who called himself BlackCloak15 he had called his editor to reschedule his tour. Kyouka obliged with making Tokyo the first stop, much to the bookstore's delight and dismay. It was troublesome, but Kyouka was a childhood friend of Sousuke's and knew that if he didn't get what he wanted things would get ugly.

She had to resist the urge to tease him after she handed him the extra premium signing ticket and caught him gently placing the envelope to his lips after addressing and sealing it. All she could do now is hope that his expectations for this young man would be met.

And as Aizen glanced at the student in his passenger's seat, thoughtfully gazing out the window with the streetlights setting his unusual orange hair aglow, his expectations had been easy met and succeeded.

Ichigo hoped his roommates weren't watching as they pulled up to his apartment in the sleek, black town car.

Before Ichigo could say goodbye Aizen stated. "I travel often, but I live here in the city. Perhaps we could arrange a time to catch up again?"

"I-yeah of course! I um…guess you know how to contact me."

"Excellent, I'll send you my schedule when I have the chance." And then in a moment Ichigo would have never seen coming, Aizen Sousuke leaned down to kiss him on the cheek.

.~'~. . ~'~.

Ichigo woke up in his apartment hours later with Keigo yelling at him for fainting in public.

* * *

**This is gonna be a two-shot. Not going to give myself more multi-chaps to worry about. Started as a Valentine's Day one-shot but kinda swelled on me when I got ideas. Been holding onto it while trying to finish the second part. But with Sariniste being in such a dark place right now I thought I'd put out something to cheer her up even if its just he first part. Look for the second lemony fresh part in the next week. The more reviews I get the faster it will appear :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**WARNING. THERE IS NO LEMON IN THIS CHAPTER AND THIS IS NOW A THREE-SHOT. This chapter was getting crazy crazy long and I'm not going to be able to finish the third part for about a week, so I thought I would at least give you this much.**

**Extra cultural note: In Japan, Valentine's Day is also known as Black Day where girls make chocolate desserts for their special someone called honmei-choco. They can also give store-bought chocolate candies and such to friends and coworkers, called giri-choco. On March 14****th**** there's White Day where boys return the gesture by giving white-chocolate treats. Sorry for the delay. Enjoy.**

.~'~. . ~'~.

Ichigo brushed his fingertips lightly over the smooth surface.

"Lovely isn't it?"

"A national treasure…" Ichigo sighed.

High above Tokyo in Aizen's penthouse Ichigo sat in front of the typewriter where the entirety of the first two Infinity Mirror books had been written. It still seemed in great condition, Ichigo pondered as his fingers glided over the indigo enamel and sleek black keys.

"It was my grandfather's. He was living in the United States when World War II struck so he was placed in one of the Japanese internment camps. This was one of the few possessions they let him keep while he was there. When he returned to Japan after the war he started his family. He used it to help teach my mother, sister and myself English and German. I still use it frequently. The publishing companies won't take just printed manuscripts anymore and switched to electronic files only. But if I'm having any difficulty I write here to clear my mind and transcribe it later."

It was another one of those things that made Aizen Sousuke incredible, Ichigo remembered suddenly. With fluency in 4 languages he had translated all of his books personally in those languages once foreign markets demanded his series. The fact that the original author was able to translate these personally guaranteed none of the integrity of the original was lost. Ichigo had heard the story of the typewriter before in an interview. What he didn't realize until now was it was the color of the vintage writing instrument that had inspired the mask of 'Indigo' that had been used on their forum. He was a bit jealous actually that Aizen had such a rich family history. Ichigo didn't know much about his family at all. Any time he asked his dad as a kid he would make up stories of wars the Kurosaki family had fought in for thousands of years.

At first Ichigo's anxiety about coming to Aizen's apartment had been off the charts. But he was finding the overwhelming presence of his boyfriend to become less intimidating and more enticing gradually over the past two months. Aizen figured Ichigo would want to see where he worked. He realized that was an understatement as he watched his eyes come alight as the student moved about the office, tracing his fingers over the desk, his typewriter, his books of notes, all of it with a pure expression of joy and contemplation. Delighted with the reaction Aizen carefully came up behind him and embraced him, taking a hand in his own before the younger man could flip open the cover of his notes.

"I'm afraid that's the one thing I can't let you see."

Ichigo froze as the warmth and arms enveloped him. He took a deep breath and relaxed back against the man and gazed out of the large window that made up almost an entire wall of the office. They were positioned perfectly due west to watch the sun go down over the city. Gold-edged shadows graced the desk as Ichigo allowed him to pull his hand back, trying to calm his nerves at the sudden intimate gesture.

"I understand. It's like an artist's sketchbook." Ichigo blushed a bit realizing that he had started snooping right in front of him.

"That's a good way to put it. There are very personal thoughts in there as well as a great deal of details from book 9 and onward. I wouldn't want to find out you're only with me to steal my secrets and sell them to rival authors."

The cover suddenly felt hot to the touch as Ichigo flinched his hand back. The book seemed to hold some divine presence, like that of a holy relic that should be worshipped and handled by no mortal hands. Within those leather covers held answers to all the hundreds of speculations and theories he had made for a decade of his life.

"However, at some point I may let you see the idea journal I kept in high school that eventually became the first manuscript. I keep it right next to the first copy of the book the president of the publishing firm handed to me when I was 19."

However, if the god who had crafted such holy relics was permitting him to behold them, then who was Ichigo to turn down such an offer? "That would be great…if you're okay with it."

Aizen kissed his fingertips before releasing him. "Of course, but you will need to wait until I can unbury it from storage. For now we have a reservation to keep."

It was their seventh date in the last six months since that day at the bookstore. It had been difficult to arrange time that coincided between Ichigo's classes and Sousuke's trips, but they both made sure to have Valentine's day weekend off. Since their dates were so far apart Ichigo would have never been able to fully be able to grasp and accept the reality of who he was with if it wasn't for their weekly calls that later became nightly calls. No matter the time zone Aizen would call in the early evening and they could discuss almost anything until Aizen would have to return to business or Ichigo needed sleep for class in the morning.

After Ichigo got over his initial anxiety attack that Aizen was indeed interested in seeing him, he had actually been pretty complacent that they would only be able to see each other once in a while. Or at least until the book tour was over. He was still a student after all and needed to be able to focus on academics and what he was going to do with his life. Then as the calls became more frequent his sudden pangs of loneliness did too. Was this really the best idea? Where was it all leading? How long would this go on for?

But all those concerns evaporated every time Aizen would appear at his doorstep after weeks apart, with a warm smile and a plan for where they would go. Scenic rooftop restaurants, the theater, dark used bookstores that went on for miles, he knew all the right places and people to get into them. However, Ichigo expressed that some of the high-class locales made him feel a bit out of place. Now that it was their first Valentine's together Aizen promised something low key, but Ichigo had no idea what it was. Being able to see the office where the author did most of his writing was enough of a treat.

"We're heading to a decently populated commercial area. I might need to go incognito this time if you would prefer." It was part of the territory when it came to dating a famous author, no matter where they went Aizen was recognized at least once and was obligated to go through the pleasantries.

"Fans don't really seem to be that much of an issue though. Or not at least as bad as I thought they'd be." Ichigo commented as they moved out towards the contemporary living room, Aizen locking the office door behind him. It was rather stark compared to the warm oak tones and sunlight of the office. White walls and carpet housed all black furniture, including an overstuffed leather sofa Ichigo really wanted to sink into. He supposed Aizen didn't spend much time in here though.

"Not in the places we have been together, however, out in much public lively places fans have a tendency to ignore boundaries and common etiquette. However, I've devised a way to go about mostly unnoticed when necessary."

"And that is?"

"Give me a minute. " Aizen exited the room so Ichigo took the time to get his shoes back on and shrug on his jacket. He reached into his breast pocket to make sure his gift was still there.

"Ready?"

"Yeah, just need-" Ichigo turned around and almost stumbled backwards at the sight of the man with Aizen's voice. The stranger's wavy locks were combed and gelled back, showing off the soft angles of his handsome face and a nicely shaped hairline. His glasses were missing now, his eyes still serene as a still lake, but now as if a dark creature lurked beneath the surface. It was so simple, but far too effective.

"That's what you look like when you _don't_ want people to notice you?"

"It's preferable to shades and a ball cap. Now, shall we?" Aizen smirked and leaned down to kiss Ichigo, causing a small section of gelled hair to fall out of place and down his forehead. Ichigo tried to brush it back and Aizen sighed.

"Don't bother. I haven't found a gel or pomade the world over that can keep that in place for long."

.~'~. . ~'~.

The street they traversed down was a bit more quiet and quaint than the neon drenched shopping district not too far away. The streets were narrow, but full of cozy shop fronts that looked twice as inviting in the chill of winter. Ichigo glanced around at passersbys who, as he suspected, did glance their way. He wasn't sure if it was because they were holding hands, or because of the provocative, bewitchingly handsome man who's hand he was holding. Ichigo's self-esteem wasn't strong enough for him to realize that he himself was an exceedingly attractive specimen as well.

"So where are we headed?"

"There was that chocolate cake you had as your avatar on the forum for a month or two around Valentine's last year. I believe with a caption of something like 'A slice of heaven' as a caption. With a bit of searching I found the place that makes it."

Ichigo knew exactly what he was talking about. The fact that he had remembered something like that solidified that the author had indeed been intrigued with him well before they had met in real life. He wasn't sure if he should be wary or charmed by this. His appreciation for chocolate was almost as strong as his appreciation for Infinity Mirror, however, so he was leaning towards charmed.

"I think this is the place. Hmm, I wasn't aware it was so…charming." They came to a stop. Ichigo got a pained look on his face as he glanced at the shop through the wide storefront windows, the décor mostly pink, red, black and frilly. And that was before the Valentine décor was slathered on top.

Ichigo glanced down at his tight black jeans and the fatigued military-inspired coat he wore with the brash skull-motif scarf he had tucked in like an ascot. Aizen looked like he belonged in a spy movie with his black trench coat and his leather driving gloves he'd left on. They were going to stand out like crows in a flock of flamingos. But ever since Aizen had mentioned that cake from the avatar, that's what his mind kept going back to.

"Do I have to go in?"

"You're holding my hand in the middle of a public street on the most amorous day of the year. I would think that means you're secure enough in your masculinity to be able to walk into a place like this without issue."

Ichigo stiffened at the challenge and tightened his hand around Aizen's as he braced himself. "I won't let cake hurt my pride," he pronounced sternly as he pushed open the shiny brass door with the lacy red curtains.

.~'~. . ~'~.

The door chimed with a short tinkle of "When You Wish Upon a Star" as they entered.

"Kurosaki-kun?

"Orihime!"

Ichigo was stunned to see his high school friend behind the counter in a poofy pink dress and pinafore that served as the store's uniform. Less so the uniform and more so the fact she was working in an award winning bakery.

"Oh my goodness! I haven't seen you since summer break!

"Orihime this is uh…Sousuke. Sousuke this is Orihime Inoue, a high school friend." He knew Orihime had read Infinity Mirror, but wasn't sure if she was enough of a fanatic to pick up on who he was standing next to. As enraptured as he was by the man's work, he made a point of not shoving his fandom and discussions down the throats of everyone around him. That's what message boards were for.

Orihime's eyes were wide and sparkling with her hands clasped over her mouth. "So you're… uh…well that explains it," she exclaimed with what seemed to be a great deal of relief. "Um uh….pleased to meet you," she said making a curtsey, her cheeks getting as pink as her cupcakey skirt.

Ichigo wasn't sure if she was flustered over who Sousuke was, how impossibly handsome he looked right now, or the fact that Ichigo was with a man. Perhaps a mixture of some of the above. Aizen gave a small bow in response to her overly formal gesture. "The pleasure is mine."

"So uh…you work here?" Ichigo interjected, knowing he owed Orihime an explanation, but this really wasn't a good time for it.

"Oh yes! I love it here! I get to come up with a lot of recipes. It might not be nearly as creative as the stuff I make at home, most palettes aren't refined enough for that, but as long as the customers enjoy what I make here I'm happy."

On closer inspection some of the pastel confections lining the counter had the unusual Orihime flair, just on the more….restrained side. Olive oil and caramel cannolis, root beer float pudding and maple bacon cupcakes decorated like happy pink pigs filled the doily-lined display among others. And there it was…that chocolate strawberry cake was under a glass dome as if it was a jewel displayed at a museum. Ichigo felt himself drawn to it and bent over to get a better look, his eyes getting glossy.

"Ah! Would you like to try my Chocoberry Dreamboat Supreme? It's pretty popular!" Orihime inquired, ducking down the other side of the glass.

"Hell yes. You made that masterpiece?"

"It was part of the interview process here. They were impressed with my original concepts, but wanted to see if I could handle the challenge of limited ingredients and this was the result. Not my finest work, but we sell out nearly every day. You're lucky we made extras for this special day." Orihime sliced a generous portion and laid it out carefully on a red, heart-shaped plate.

Aizen delighted in the look of awe Ichigo was trying so hard to hide behind his scowling mask. The youth's eyes were wide and shimmering in anticipation of the desert before him. The cake slice have many layers of rich cake stacked between a spectrum of white chocolate, milk chocolate, hazelnut, ganoche and thin slices of strawberries. Then the whole thing was covered in white and milk chocolate was drizzled in an artful pattern. On top a large, juicy strawberry had been sliced into a heart then decorated with a chocolate tuxedo design.

Not so keen on rich deserts Aizen settled for a pot of chai tea and Orihime's surprisingly delectable avocado cookies. Most of the tables were already full with fawning couples and clusters of high-school girls commiserating together. Ichigo was glad the only table left was off in a corner, away from the chatter.

"So would this be our honmei or giri choco?" Aizen asked before swirling his tea to cool.

"Dunno, but with have to get white chocolate a month from now? Not sure what the rule is for our…type of relationship." Ichigo forked off a sliver of the desert and closed his eyes to savor that first bite. It was glorious. Not too sweet, not too rich, the berries and white chocolate keeping the chocolate from being too overwhelming, the hazelnut keeping it cemented as a solid foundation for the flavor.

"Does it satisfy?"

"Yea verily." Ichigo's expression held a meditative zen-like peacefulness.

Aizen chuckled. "I don't imagine this is your first Black Day chocolate." Ichigo shook his head.

"Every year I got chocolates on valentine's day. But everyone wanted to be a secret admirer so I was never exactly sure who they were from. With some exceptions of course." Ichigo was pretty sure he knew who gave him the chocolate cupcakes with Velveeta and jalapeno cream filling.

"Ah, they still do that in schools? That's refreshing to hear."

"There's only a decade between us. Stop acting like you grew up in a black and white movie. Let me guess, they clogged your desk with hanmei-choco too?"

"Not as much as you might think. I was rather quiet and plain and had to politely turn down only one or two confessions in favor of working on what would become the series. I can't say I didn't think about relationships, but no one had approached that I might have given more attention to than my work. It wouldn't have been fair to them with my attention so divided."

Ichigo paused mid-bite, his heart suddenly skipping a beat. Was he hearing things right? Or was he overanalyzing. He lowered his fork, not really sure how to word what to say next. "So you…I…we…."

"If you're wondering if that means I care about you more than the series I would say you are about tied." Aizen reclined towards the armrest of his chair and gave Ichigo a contemplative gaze as he sipped his tea. "However, despite my efforts to avoid this situation a great deal of my time is forced into work. Perhaps I'm being selfish by asking you to put up with all of this."

"You don't understand…before I met you…I had never really thought of having a serious relationship."

"Oh? Well that calls for some elaboration don't you think?" This was truly a surprise for Aizen. He had expected the boy had avoided talking about previous relationships to be polite. He didn't imagine this handsome youth had never had a single girlfriend or boyfriend.

Ichigo glanced off at some flower arrangement in the corner and heart garlands dangling around the light fixtures, not necessarily sure this was the setting he wanted to divulge his most personal reflections on himself.

"Everyone assumed I was a punk because of how I looked and they decided I had an attitude just because I didn't want trouble. I ended up having to learn to fight and become what I was being accused of to defend myself. More and more I stayed indoors and studied and read with my free time. And yet I had a reputation now and still had to take challenges now and then. Between distracting myself in the world of books, school and fighting I never really had even thought about relationships until late high school. By that point I just assumed I was asexual. "

There was a pregnant pause as Aizen sipped his tea and held the cup thoughtfully in his hands. "I've thought about what you told me about how you lost your mother. It sounded like a very traumatizing time for you at such a young age. Perhaps you have been unconsciously avoiding forming strong relationships for the fear of the pain you would feel from the grief of another loss."

Ichigo's eyes went wide with realization and tried to hide his expression by glancing down at his plate and using his fork to pry away the chocolate shell from his strawberry. He distracted himself from the sudden exposed feeling by admiring the surprisingly bright and intact berry underneath. He was starting to understand that feeling of someone excavating emotions he didn't even know he had.

"I guess we're even now."

"Did I hit that close to home?

"I think so…."

Aizen sampled a bit of Ichigo's cake and smiled in approval of the flavorful, but not too rich combination. "The heart works in truly fascinating ways. What you wish to do with this insight is up to you, but I do hope that it won't change your feelings too severely." Aizen's eyes locked on his with a piercing look and took Ichigo's free hand lightly into his own. He placed a chocolate-tinted kiss on the top with a smirk and the air of a perfect gentleman. Ichigo blushed fiercely and darted his eyes from the heated gaze and heard a couple of high school girls giggling over the scene from the other corner of the shop.

"Don't make too much of a scene now," Ichigo muttered, taking his hand back and going back to enjoying his cake.

"Hmm, do you think it would help or hurt the store's business if I bent you over the table and made love to you."

Ichigo nearly choked on his cake, a comical expression of embarrassment staining his face red. Recovering he nearly slammed his fork on the table. "You can't just say things like that out of the blue!"

Aizen had a habit of catching him off guard just to make him flustered.

"You're the one who implied you're ready for more."

It was true. Their other dates had ended simply with long, slow makeout sessions out just falling asleep together on the couch watching some old black and white movie. However, during the long stretch since that date Ichigo had heavily implied over their nightly phone calls that he was ready to take things to the next level.

"How ready are you?" Aizen gave him a questioning glance over his teacup. Ichigo gulped feeling a hand come to rest on his knee under the tablecloth.

"I've done…some research." Ichigo took the last bite of his cake, trying to act casual.

"Well, then let's get home and see what you've learned. Shall we?"

.~'~. . ~'~.

Ichigo had barely shut the apartment door when two warm hands grabbed his waist and pulled him in for a sultry kiss. He moaned into it and stood a bit on tiptoe as their mouths came together again and again in a mingling of soft lips and warm, panting breaths. Aizen's actions became more frenzied as they moved and stumbled into the kitchen, jackets and shoes falling discarded to the floor in their wake. Ichigo yelped into the kiss as he was suddenly on his back on the kitchen table. A needy gasp escaped him as the other man moved to nip at his neck and ear.

The motion-sensing kitchen lights finally flickered on. They both froze as Ichigo looked upside down to see a woman sitting at the table drinking tea.

"Good evening Kyouka, it's been awhile since you've made a house call." Aizen said calmly, after a moment's hesitation.

The woman closed her silvery, clear eyes and sipped the tea with a sigh. Straight emerald green hair cut at a sharp angle went nicely with her cream business suit. "You turned your phone off, Sou-chan, I didn't have a choice. There's a fundraiser at the New York Public Library tomorrow and they're desperate to have you speak since Collins canceled on them.

"I was just in New York. Why didn't I hear that I was asked to speak in the first place?"

"You ordered me specifically to keep this weekend open. Normally I wouldn't bother you; however the First Lady and her daughters are working to launch a new literacy promotion campaign and want to use the fundraiser as a launching pad. You were their first choice to speak at the fundraiser and since the cancellation their people have been hounding me nonstop. Just in case I have jet ready at Narita airport, but it needs to leave in the next 5 hours if you're going to make it."

Aizen sighed and rubbed his face a bit, Ichigo had never seen him so conflicted and felt a pain in his chest.

Ichigo, still pinned on the table, glanced between the two and cleared his throat. "Well um…if we make good use of those hours I guess I don't see a problem…just my two cents. I'd prefer if international relations weren't hurt for my sake."

Aizen gave a somber smile and kissed him on the nose before glancing back up at Kyouka. "Just have a car sent and ready. I won't be in any mood or condition to drive by then."

"I'll get on it then." The editor finished her tea and got up to leave the cup and saucer by the sink. As she turned her phone on she stopped and looked down at Ichigo. "Nice to meet you by the way, Ichigo I presume?"

"Uh, yeah. Nice to meet you Kyouka."

"That's Suigetsu-san to you," turning on her heel she grabbed her coat from the chair and gestured to the living room before leaving. "Oh and I had some time to kill waiting for you so I set the mood. Have a nice evening."

.~'~. . ~'~.

**Thanks for bearing with me. The more reviews I get the faster the last part will appear.**


	3. Chapter 3

**.~'~. . ~'~.**

Kyouka had somehow transformed the stark living room into something out of a classy love hotel ad. The darkened room was drenched in red light and golden flickers of candles lit generously about. The glass coffee table held a bucket of ice chilling two bottles of Pinot Grigio and Don Perignon. A few stem glasses and a glass bowl holding a mountain of hulled strawberries sat near the drinks and the vintage turntable crooned out some mellow, sultry jazz.

Aizen noticed the pained look on Ichigo's face and embraced him around the shoulders, leading into a small slow dance across the carpet. "Is everything alright?"

"My threshold for romantic gush tonight was surpassed the moment I stepped in that café," Ichigo grumbled, clumsily following the sway to the music.

"_Any place or time we might meet, we must make it the perfect setting and perfect hour to be together. For only the gods know whether our fates shall ever intertwine again._

Ichigo felt like the wind had been knocked out of him. Aizen Sousuke quoting one of Abel's most famous lines in his deep baritone caught him completely off guard. Hesitantly, after taking a moment to recover, he responded with Elsa's quote, _"Any time and place is already perfect, as long as I am with you."_

Ichigo nearly melted as Sousuke replied with a smirk and a kiss nearly as intense as the one that Sousuke had attacked him with when they came in earlier. But when Aizen had jumped him when they got back to the apartment Ichigo had been more mentally prepared for it. Meditating on what was going to transpire tonight during the long car ride home gave him time to focus. However, after Kyouka's interruption he lost all of that focus. As Sousuke's hands swirled teasingly at his waist then slid under his shirt to caress his bare back as the kiss deepened the anxiety Ichigo was experiencing amongst the sensations was too high. Gasping for air he broke the kiss and backed away a bit, too afraid to meet Sousuke's concerned gaze.

"I'm gonna…go freshen up for a minute."

"Take as long as you need."

**.~'~. . ~'~.**

As Ichigo splashed water on his face in the bathroom he couldn't stop his hands from shaking . What he hadn't mentioned earlier is sex wasn't something he thought about a great deal either until recently. He certainly knew the mechanics of it, of course. There had been numerous mandatory lectures from his father in the Kurosaki household before he left for school on the topic. Though not so much mandatory as much as more than once he had woken up strapped to a chair with his goat-faced dad lecturing with a set of slides and a film strip that looked like it predated WWII. By the time the puppet show came around Ichigo had figured out how to escape his restraints and kick the idiot in the face before running as far as his legs could carry. Isshin had been "open" enough to make sure to cover homosexual intercourse along with his female anatomy lessons since Ichigo refused to give input on what kind of lessons he needed.

Despite all that, a strange curiosity had overcome him soon after his second date with Sousuke that affirmed that this was really going somewhere and it wasn't just an elaborate prank. A delicious ache would form in his body anytime he imagined the author with his shirt undone, or perhaps just waking up with his chestnut hair tousled and eyes heavy with sleep. Ichigo had barely ever touched himself through his teen years. After the first time he had been ashamed and there wasn't much else that had stirred him enough afterwards to repeat the gesture; hence figuring he was asexual.

However, these small fantasies of the celebrity who had taken interest in him brought on a desire Ichigo had never experienced until now. After a couple weeks of satisfying himself to these mostly innocent images in his head Ichigo's imagination started to grow. He imagined what he might look like coming out of the shower. First in a bathrobe, then a towel, then just under the blanket of steam that hazed the room. With long stretches between when he could see Aizen in the flesh his fantasies started getting more elaborate.

The first was a particularly heavy one where Aizen was his English professor who needed to keep him for some "detention." Then he was an eccentric billionaire who kidnapped him and had his way with him on a private island somewhere. Ichigo's most potent fantasy, however, involved Aizen as an elusive hypnotist that took a repressed, but easily enticed Prince Ichigo against his will. After recovering from what he had done to himself after that particular time, Ichigo knew it was time to think about where this was all headed. He felt ashamed for imaging such a noble, talented man in such positions, but they were only harmless ideas inside his head, right? Besides, there was something to all of them that somehow suited the well-mannered scholar so nicely. He couldn't put his finger on it.

He needed to know more about this foggy path he was headed down. Research proved difficult. Despite how vivid his own fantasies were getting he had great difficulty reading other people's thoughts on the topic of intercourse between two men. His research had been…enlightening.

Ichigo looked at himself in the mirror. It was a bit humiliating that after all those fantasies he thought he could go through with this. But now that the situation was before him and very real he suddenly couldn't work up the nerve. He knew he was ready, but there was some wall that kept him from taking that leap.

Edging his jeans down, he figured getting more comfortable and relaxed might help. His hands were beginning to lose their tremor as he folded his jeans on the counter. Ichigo looked himself over the mirror, now not wearing more than his black boxers and a wine-colored shirt, the buttons undone more than halfway. Maybe if he looked ready his mind and body would follow suit.

**.~'~. . ~'~.**

Back out in the living room Aizen had changed into a bathrobe and reclined on the sofa and enjoying the music with a freshly poured glass of champagne in his hand. Ichigo was comforted by the expression of gentle desire in Aizen's eyes as he reentered the room. Ichigo felt a chill down his spine as his eyes looked him over in approval. Sousuke stood and gently smoothed back Ichigo's hair and placed a kiss on his forehead. Resting their heads together he murmured, "If this is too much, let me know. I want you to be as ready as possible."

Ichigo gulped dryly and sighed a ragged breath. "No, everything's perfect. I've gotta take the training wheels off sometime."

"Now now, you make it sound like an obligation. The last thing I would want would be for you to feel I'm imposing on you."

"That's not it, I've wanted this for a while now, but finding the courage is harder than I thought it would be. Not to mention you haven't exactly been available to help."

Ichigo saw Sousuke's frown and scrambled to correct himself. "Wh-what I mean is-"

Sousuke placed a finger on his lips, "It's alright. I know you didn't mean anything by it. It is the truth after all and it hasn't been fair to you. You're young and should be free to explore what this world has to offer, rather than being tied down by a complicated relationship."

"Too bad because if I'm going to be tied down to anyone it'd be you."

"I suppose it's my duty to make sure you don't regret those words," Sousuke's smirk returned as he threaded his fingers through Ichigo's hair and pulled him in for a kiss. Ichigo closed his eyes as their lips parted and the familiar sensation of soft lips and tongue brought him back to a comforting mindset.

For minutes they just stood there enjoying the soft swirl of the kiss and the heat of each other's bodies. The way the man's kisses trained his inexperienced mouth wordlessly, or how flawlessly his fingers caressed bare skin to tease, but not so much he had to break the kiss. Ichigo found every touch making him want to whimper in delight and each kiss sweeter than the last. The longer they kissed the more blatant it became that Sousuke was not as innocent as he had let on. In fact that was an understatement. As inexperienced as Ichigo was he could tell this man had refined himself in the art of intimacy. The realization overwhelmed Ichigo's already frenzied mind.

"I thought you said you hadn't had a lot of relationships." Ichigo gasped out as he broke the kiss, trying to catch his breath.

"I was talking about _high school_, Ichigo." He could hear the slight tone of amusement and scheming. "Sudden wealth and prestige does wonders for one's appeal and look on life. All you need to know is before the night is over I intend to use quite a bit of that experience on you."

Ichigo's mind was perplexed as to why he was okay with this realization where only a few minutes ago a kiss was sending him into a panic attack. With a thrill of excitement sudden making him weak kneed, he realized somehow the Aizen from his fantasies was now before him and very real.

Aizen marveled at how much his presence affected the boy. It was making it difficult to keep his already weighty ego and excitement in check. How many young girls' heart had this boy unknowingly break? It only made his pride and hunger swell to see his devoted soon-to-be lover completely undone. Ever since he laid that small, chaste kiss upon that flawless cheek that night of the signing his mind was made up. He had everything a mortal man could want. Riches, fame, admiration and all his previous lovers wanted to have a piece of it. Not Ichigo. The orange-haired young man in his arms cared for none of that and looked past all of it and straight to himself. The purity of Ichigo's devotion was absolutely refreshing; it almost made him regret the things he wanted to do to his body. Almost.

Of course, it wasn't as if he didn't have a hand in Ichigo's healthy sexual appetite. When they had first met, in real life that is, he could not detect an ounce of sexual inclinations in any of the boy's mannerisms. Aizen had taken care to cultivate and nurture that part of the boy's nature. Carefully placed touches here and there during dates, well placed words on the phone. All had been timed with care to ease Ichigo comfortably into this weakened and willing state. Aizen sudden felt a surge of heat wondering if Ichigo even began to realize how he was about to be ruined for any other, whether man or woman.

Tenderly he lowered the boy until he reclined down the full length of the sofa. Catching him off guard Aizen's eyes went wide as Ichigo embraced him around the neck and pulled him in for a desperate, loving kiss. His tongue timidly played along Aizen's, testing the strange, but exhilarating sensation of tongues slowly caressing and sharing moist heat. His smirk of delight was hidden in the kiss as he moved to lie atop the boy. Their ministrations were suddenly interrupted by the beeping of the microwave off in the kitchen.

"Ah, that would be for me," Sousuke stated nonchalantly, untangling himself, leaving Ichigo splayed and dumfounded on the sofa. He blinked in confusion and sat up to hear the microwave door open and shut. Sousuke reappeared stirring the leftover bowl of melted chocolate with the pastry brush.

"What do y-" Ichigo began to question and shut his mouth at the sweet, glorious fragrance that now flooded the room.

"While you were using the restroom at the café I asked Orihime if I could purchase a bit of that chocolate ganoche you loved so much. She was more than happy to fulfill the request."

With a flick Ichigo felt a warm soothing stroke of the stuff drag from his neck down to his chest.

"Wait!" he began to exclaim. "You can't be seri-seri...ous," he shuddered out as Sousuke took his time lapping up the warm, sweet streak from his skin. Soon his skin was clean again, save a wide streak of glistening saliva.

"_When you have made your weaknesses so readily apparent, who am I not to use them against you?" _Aizen murmured. Ichigo shivered at the quote, noting he had used Cain's words this time rather than Abel's. Aizen painted a stylized heart over the junction of the younger man's neck and collarbone; then another smaller one around his nipple. Aizen rested the bowl on the coffee table and pinned Ichigo in his place on the sofa. Ichigo gave him a disgusted look, but before he could protest his head suddenly pressed back into the cushion with a groan. Aizen's licks against his skin were surprisingly tantalizing and Ichigo felt like his face was going to burn off in embarrassment. Ichigo's hips twitched as his back arched just a bit from the slow, sweet torment. His eyes went dark and lidded as he watched his idol taste his body.

"E-enough of that," he protested, quickly lacing his fingers into Sousuke's wavy hair, trying to pull him in for a steamy kiss. Sousuke obliged for a moment, enjoying the little sound Ichigo made as he tasted sweat and chocolate in his lover's mouth.

Sousuke then broke the kiss and grabbed Ichigo's wrists restraining them back against the sofa. "Your body made no complaints just now; I fail to see why your mouth should protest."

"It's...it's...just..." he couldn't look Sousuke in the eye, not after enjoying something so…alternative.

"It seems you need more convincing," Sousuke's gaze somehow became even more devious. Before Ichigo realized what was happening Sousuke had taken the satin sash from his bathrobe and tied his wrists together.

"Hey! What's the id-" Ichigo whimpered suddenly now noticing that Sousuke's robe was open, the hard edges of his body now partially showing in the flickering candlelight. He wanted to reach out and touch him, but his new restraint denied him that privilege. Sousuke started kissing down his torso, making a point of avoiding his clothed erection. Taking back the bowl of molten chocolate Sousuke dragged the brush along the insides of his thighs ever-so-slowly. With that Ichigo's resolve started floating away and he let a leg drape over the top of the sofa. It wasn't worth fighting it, now realizing that in a few days his boyfriend would be gone again. Off to some exotic location while he went back to his mundane student life. He would do anything to see that hungry possessive look of his as much as possible, even if it meant letting him cover him head-to-toe in sugary sweetness.

He watched mesmerized as Sousuke knelt between his thighs, kissing and sucking and somehow keeping his legs held fast in place. Without even touching his member Sousuke's ministrations made him impossibly hard. Sweat dripped down Ichigo's forehead as he restrained himself from bucking forward for friction.

As Sousuke diligently cleaned up the chocolate streaks from Ichigo's skin, his fingers started brushing just under the hem of his boxers. They swirled and played lightly, traveling further and further under the fabric until- "Wait!" Ichigo panted, realizing contact was imminent. "I...I..." he stuttered with Sousuke gazing patiently into his eyes, licking a small smear of chocolate from his fingertip.

"Yes, Ichigo? I can stop, you just need to speak up," Aizen would have a hard time stopping now, but he would do whatever was best for Ichigo.

"No, that's not it...I just..." Ichigo glanced away and strained a bit against the satin wrapped around his wrists, trying to get the words out. He gulped and glanced at Sousuke from the corner of his eye. "I was kinda hoping we could try the next part...together. I wanna learn as we go."

Aizen felt a swelling in his chest that he hadn't expected. He stood and grabbed Ichigo's shoulders, forcing him back into the couch with a passionate kiss. Ichigo whined as it caught him off guard and he panted as their lips locked wetly over and over again. The sudden overwhelming passion he felt through his connection from Sousuke might have been the purest he ever felt from the man and it baffled him a little where it was coming from. A line of saliva stretched and broke between their lips as Sousuke pulled away and muttered. "That sounds like a lovely idea." Though his eyes suddenly darkened and a cocky curve appeared at the corners of his mouth. "But only if we can bring the chocolate."

**.~'~. . ~'~.**

**Fear not. I only broke up this chapter into two because it got too long. It's already up so just click that 'next' button. So much for the one-shot this whole thing started as. Apologies for the lateness etc.**


	4. Chapter 4

Within minutes they had shifted the scene to the bedroom; where Kyouka's "mood-setting" atmosphere continued in to. The slow mellow saxophone still crooned from the living room as the two started to shed their remaining garments in the candlelight. Ichigo felt weak-kneed as Aizen's robe came off. Even with endless travel and writing the man somehow made the time to find gyms.

Ichigo turned away and hooked his thumbs into the elastic of his boxers and hesitated from finishing the job. He knew he was a bit of a prude, not even letting himself go naked in places where it made sense like the communal baths or trips to hot springs. Plus, he worked hard to keep himself fit and yet even then had a hard time showing off the results. He bit his lip a bit as the larger, warm body embraced him from behind. Gently placing kisses behind his ear Sousuke ran his fingertips down his sides, coaxing Ichigo onward. Ichigo's eyes suddenly went wide and had to suppress a sob of bliss as he felt Sousuke's bare, impossibly hard erection gently ease along the cleft of his rear. Taking a deep breath he finished pulling off his undergarment as Sousuke pressed a little harder against him. He titled his head back and their lips locked again, a little more feverish by the minute as he turned and they embraced fully, kissing and exploring each other with deliberate, eager hands, completely exposed to each other for the first time.

Ichigo couldn't believe the thrills and sensations he was experiencing. He thought the foreplay in the living room was intense. But nothing could compare to this, not in his wildest imagination. Nothing could have prepared him for the raw heat of skin against skin, or the look of pure possession in Sousuke's eyes when they locked with his. There was no turning back now. When Sousuke suddenly gripped Ichigo's ass with as strong, massaging grip, he had to resist the initial urge to jump up and wrap his legs around him.

"So how...do we do this exactly? I think I get it but..." Ichigo murmured, needing to break that intense gaze and glancing hesitantly at the bed, covered with a downy black satin comforter and black and white pillows arranged in an inviting pile.

"We will get there, no need to rush things," Aizen ran his fingers through orange, damp hair and kissed him on the forehead. He had to admit he adored how eager Ichigo was to grow and learn, rather than wanting Aizen to just take him and use him as he pleased. It was tiring with past lovers to do all the work. Of course he always enjoyed control, but giving constant directions could get dull. It was Ichigo's willingness to please him without being told that was so relieving, and his prudeness made him equally fun to tease.

The tense posture of Ichigo's hips suggested the boy was resisting the urge to grind their bodies together. Releasing an ass cheek Aizen's free hand stroked deftly up his hip then swirling down Ichigo's chest, abdomen and finally grasped the organ of his desire with light, teasing fingers. Ichigo bit his lip with a hum of approval and tilted his head back to enjoy the sensation for a moment. When he reached down to try and touch Sousuke the other man brushed his hand away and Ichigo looked down to watch his long fingers grasp their cocks together with a languid stroke.

Ichigo gasped from the sensation and his breath quickened at how overwhelmingly sensual the gesture was. He watched the large hand encircle their lengths, the tips darkening with each upward stroke. He thought he would die of embarrassment as after a few more strokes a trickle of whitish fluid spilled from his tip.

Sousuke groaned and ran his thumb over Ichigo's head to collect the wetness and smear it over both of them. It had been awhile since he had deflowered anyone, even longer since tainting more specifically such a young, strapping man. Ichigo was by far the most glorious as he slowly let go of all his inhibitions and fell head first into sexual abandon. He might have had the thickest shell of defenses to break through, but it was well worth the effort.

Ichigo let himself be eased back towards the bed until his legs touched the edge. Aizen released their members, but not after a particularly strong upward stroke that made Ichigo expel a rather loud grunt of approval. Mouth-agape and weak-kneed after the strong sensation of his hot, hard flesh slickened and flush against Aizen's Ichigo sat down at the edge of the bed. He cringed a bit at the coolness of the smooth, satin comforter before it absorbed heat from his skin.

Ichigo's cheeks flushed harder when he noticed a string of fluid had stretched and broken between his cock and Aizen's hand has they had separated. Normally he would have thought that was disgusting, but for some reason, in the moment it was just incredibly hot. He didn't have time to contemplate t long and Aizen's mouth was soon upon his again and Ichigo melted into the kiss as the older man crawled over him until Ichigo's back was flat against the bed.

Aizen pulled back and admired how nicely the boy's strong, tanned body and flaming orange hair stood out against the backdrop of black satin. All he needed now was the proverbial cherry on top. Turning to lay on his side Aizen grabbed the bowl of chocolate and gave it a quick swirl with the brush to keep it from hardening. Ichigo tried not to protest this time as the warm, smooth brush came in contact with his chest to paint a flower of some kind. He flinched and twitched a little every time it swirled over his nipples or close to his neck.

Aizen rested the brush atop the bowl and instead opted to coat two fingers in the thick substance. With them he traced another lazy pattern across Ichigo's chest and nipples. Before he could lean down to clean up his handiwork Ichigo intercepted and grabbed his hand, taking the fingers into his mouth. Aizen's breath hitched at the exquisite, tight warmth of the youth's mouth as the tongue moved all around and between his digits. His cock gave a hard twitch imagining where else that enthusiastic mouth could go. Ichigo gave a soft moan of delight around him for the succulent taste enhanced by his heightened senses. He glanced up at Sousuke and was surprised to not see a knowing smirk, but a heavy, dark grimace of pleasure on the man's features.

Ichigo released the fingers with a small pop and stammered, "Wait…that feels good?"

Sousuke broke from his little trance and smiled. "Why don't you see for yourself?" he took Ichigo's hand and guided him to smear up some of the chocolate off his body and eagerly suckled upon them. Ichigo stiffened as he experienced the strange, but pleasant suction of Sousuke's mouth.

"Yeah that…wow." Ichigo stammered; his thoughts suddenly very similar to Sousuke's. Pulling his hand back he muttered, "Can I…I mean…I wanna…um… I'm not sure how to say this…."

He was having a hard time getting the words out as Aizen went to work licking him clean again. Ichigo's hands fisted into the sheets as he stammered a little louder now, "Please…Sousuke I wanna…I…"

"You want to what, Ichigo?" The way Sousuke said his name was as dark, smooth and sultry as the chocolate on his tongue and it only made it harder for Ichigo to try and express what he wanted.

"I….I can't say it."

"Then don't you show me instead?"

Ichigo nodded slightly with a dry gulp as his chest was finally cleaned off. Gently, he pushed Sousuke onto his back and guided him to lay comfortably against the pillows at the head of the bed. As Aizen languidly spread out along the spacious bed Ichigo forgot to breathe for a few seconds. He still couldn't believe that he was at all worthy enough to be with this man, to touch him, let alone gaze upon him in his full glory. If Ichigo didn't know better he would have never guessed this handsome, golden-eyed devil was the soft-spoken, best-selling author

Feeling bold, Ichigo reached for that bowl of chocolate. Aizen watched with a hazy smirk expecting Ichigo to reach for the brush. So he was completely unprepared for when Ichigo grabbed his cock and dragged his tip right through the warm, sticky substance. Aizen gasped and watched Ichigo's expression become ravenous and scheming watching the generous helping of chocolate ooze down the shaft in his hand.

"I think you've had enough of this stuff, there's barely enough left for me." Ichigo declared and he closed his eyes and started to taste the sinful decadence of premium chocolate with a hint of another man's precum. As most of the chocolate ooze was cleared away Ichigo started cleaning the crevices beside the large veins protruding from the side. He guessed Aizen's cock was a bit above average, still not exactly sure what average size even was. It was still a heady situation to fully wrap his mind around. Here he was giving pleasure to the man he had worshipped like a god for so many years, even through childhood. He tried to shove that to the back of his mind as his mouth engulfed the smooth head and sucked in gently. Ichigo sampled pressing his tongue into the slit and trying to coax out more of the faintly salty fluids dripping from there. He would never admit it out loud, but the strange addition of the chocolate to the evening's activities had helped him get over any mental barriers he might have had before about being in the position he was in.

Aizen was delighted to see Ichigo's enthusiasm had yet to waver. He stretched one arm along the headboard and laced his other hand through Ichigo's hair, resisting forcing the boy down further on his cock. The warm, moist depths of the inexperienced mouth were plenty to keep him satisfied. However, with the way Ichigo's ass was poised up in the air, the taught, firm flesh emphasized by the flickering candlelight, Aizen's shaft throbbed a bit in anticipation. Ichigo moaned a little as he felt it and swallowed him deeper. Realizing that he took in too much at once he sat back coughing for air. Aizen handed him a glass of wine from the night stand and he drank it quickly then tried to catch his breath. Aizen started lavishing his torso with kisses, going lower and lower until Ichigo paused him with a gentle push back on the shoulder. He looked up and Ichigo looked a bit bewildered as he shook his head. "No more of that. I'm ready for the real thing."

"Are you sure?" Aizen cocked an eyebrow, concerned, but amused by Ichigo's determination.

"Yeah, right now I'm ready and the longer we wait the less sure I am that I'll stay ready." Ichigo glanced away and took another sip of wine, welcoming of its calming effect on his nerves. It was a half-truth. He was really ready to take things to the next level, but at the same time he really didn't want to see Aizen in such a subservient position. No matter how close they had become Ichigo would always see this man as beyond human intellect and worth. It wouldn't seem right to watch a god service his lowly human form in such a manner.

"Alright then, get comfortable and I'll get you prepared." Ichigo nodded and lay back on the pillow pile while Sousuke rummaged through the nightstand. He turned his head into the satin pillows and inhaled the deep, musky scent with the faintest hint of chocolate where Sousuke had lain earlier. He turned his attention back to Aizen and his eyes went wide upon seeing the strange black object in his hand.

"You are not using that on me!" Ichigo scrambled back on the bed, crossing his legs protectively. Sousuke's grin was full of scheming as he leaned over and took the boy's foot and proceeded to kiss down the length of his calf. The little, devious toy was flicked on with a faint buzz as it was dragged along the opposite leg.

"We don't have to use it if it intimidates you so. However, it's a bit more efficient and probably would be more appealing to you rather than…more primitive maneuvers." Ichigo cringed at the feeling of the tip of Aizen's middle finger now pressed lightly against his rear.

He scowled and retorted, "Says the man who's probably consumed a box worth's of chocolate off my body."

"One's exposed skin and nether rosette are quite different territories. Besides, you failed to finish your task earlier. I was looking forward to watching you drink my essence with that beautiful, voracious mouth. As payment for denying me that sight you'll just have to put up with my little friend." Aizen started swirling the thing around the head of Ichigo's cock making him cringe and dig his head back into the pillows.

Ichigo struggled for a reply. He trusted Aizen and there was no question there. And while he found this new, darker side of him emerging to be intriguing the vibe he was getting was rather Cain-like. And why wouldn't it be? This man's mind had given birth to both the virtuous, kind Abel as well as the nefarious, manipulative Cain. Characters who involved themselves with Cain usually did not meet a pleasant end. Those who could fraternize with him and come out unscathed were those who showed no fear or weakness. Ichigo could probably write a thesis on the topic were he not being toyed with his hero turned lover at the moment. Besides, the hunk of motorized plastic wasn't much bigger than his thumb. Of course, what he was getting ready for was much bigger than a thumb.

"As long as whatever you use will open me up enough for that massive cock of yours I'll put up with anything," Ichigo chided with a smirk that was faltering as the toy thrummed against his length. Aizen chuckled. Ichigo probably didn't realize how many ways there were to do that very thing and pondered if he would make him regret those words later. However, he was already making such good progress with Ichigo the sudden influx of truly naughty ideas would have to wait.

Sousuke liberally wetted the surface from a bottle on the night stand. Slinging one of Ichigo's legs over a shoulder he kissed his knee and then started swirling the slick tip of the toy around Ichigo's entrance. At first intrusion he couldn't help but wince. The tight pressure wasn't painful, just a little hard to get used to. Though it was a little easier, as the smooth object gently massaged and vibrated against his insides, gradually relaxing the tense muscles to make way for what was to come.

"Here, it will be easiest this way." Ichigo shakily followed Sousuke's guiding hand as he rested, face-down on the mattress, a couple pillows propping up his hips. The thing was still inside him and buzzing away on its highest setting, making his thighs twitch every now and then.

"Wait..I um…."

"What did I tell you about speaking up, Ichigo?" Aizen scolded with a harsh squeeze on the ass.

"The…the way I've fantasized about this moment…went more like this…" His body still shaking from the devious instrument buried in him Ichigo crawled back to the edge of the bed. He kept the pillow that propped his hips as he now had his feet on the ground, bent over the high western mattress.

The youth never failed to surprise him in the most delightful ways. "That's quite a vulnerable position you've selected. "Aizen muttered, rising from the bed and appraising the glorious view.

Ichigo gazed up from the mattress with sleepy eyes. The toy seemed to have a tip that curved out slightly because the point was vibrating deep against his prostate, the strange erotic sensation making him feel lethargic and wanton. Damn, if God didn't want men to lie together then why did it feel so good? He reached back to run a hand lightly up his thigh, around the curve of his rear and then applying gentle pressure to the toy with a soft moan. He glanced back at Aizen, wanting to mess with him a little suddenly, and muttered, "Are you just gonna watch? The toy is nice, but I bet your cock is even better."

Aizen had to quickly pinch the base of his shaft to stop himself from coming right then and there. Playtime with Ichigo was more unpredictable that he anticipated, but that only had him more pleased with himself for tracking down such a divine creature. Trying to subdue his baser urges to drive into that hole with the toy still embedded, Aizen tried to take in every part of this moment, to have it burned into his memory for all eternity.

The smooth shapely ass-checks framing that pink, twitching hole.

That tense sac hanging over a hardened shaft, the dark tip twitching pearls of fluid that marred the once immaculate black satin.

The boy's noble, but enraptured face, full of longing, curiosity and determination.

Ichigo couldn't be more ready and ripe and Aizen couldn't be more pleased that he was the one that was to pluck and devour him. Ichigo rested his head down into the bed. He could feel Aizen's presence, thick and tangible as he kissed Ichigo's lower back and kissed his way up his spine. Calloused fingers tilted Ichigo's chin to the side and his lips were caught in a slow, but intense kiss. A soft whine came from Ichigo throat as he felt the hard length grind slowly against his taint and the end of the toy.

Aizen pulled back and his eyes darkened as he swirled the thing around and around in Ichigo's hole, liberally dripping more lube into the space. He watched a shiver run Ichigo spine and tighten his shoulders, bending him like a bow. A few more twists of the toy and it was pulled from him, making Ichigo feel strangely empty.

His heart hammered away in his chest. For so long he had admired this man from afar. And now here he was, willingly giving his body to please him. He took a sharp inhale as he felt the hardened head press just a bit into him. Aizen bent over his form and tilted his chin up for a slow, gentle kiss. They might have been slinging filthy words and gestures for a while now but he wanted to show Ichigo this still meant something to him.

As they kissed Ichigo felt a hand intertwine with his and he felt a burst of longing fill his heart from the simple, comforting gesture. Resting his damp hair on sweaty arms Ichigo clenched his eyes shut and panted each breath. A lengthy, strangled sound of painful bliss came from his throat as Sousuke started making shallow thrusts into his body. Sousuke grasped his hips with a hiss. So caught up in the intensity of the moment, Ichigo didn't realize he had started involuntarily pushing himself back into the thrusts.

"You're so wonderfully tight that we won't last long if you keep that up."

Ichigo marveled at how he could reduce such a man to such sensations even when he wasn't on top. He tried to restrain himself as Aizen rocked into his body. Ichigo had just been teasing earlier, but having Aizen inside him was indeed much better than the toy. The thing had relaxed him enough so that it was nearly painless to make way for the strangely comforting feeling of fullness driving in and out of him again and again. The warm, slick skin of their legs and torsos sliding against the other, his cock grinding into the pillows that held his hips. He hadn't expected that part of sex after he research, but it was far from unwelcome.

Aizen groaned at how easily his body was accepting him and leaned in to pick up the pace. Ichigo yelped as the friction doubled making his feet start to slip from where they were planted in the carpet. Aizen kept his hips steady as he collapsed into the mattress, whining wantonly at the powerful sensations and feeling of fluids dabbling his thighs. The sudden desire to have another cock to suck on as he was being plowed formed in his mind and Ichigo tried to dismiss it but it was too late. Ichigo imagined a second Aizen on the bed and Ichigo suckled on his fingers, suppressing his pleasured cries of abandon as he came, grinding hard into the pillows until the glorious throbbing subsided. Realizing Sousuke hadn't come yet he grinned a bit to himself and squeezed the muscles of his ass tight. Almost instantly he heard an almost feral grunt and fingers nails dug into his hips. Sousuke ignored Ichigo cries as he manually snapped his hips back and forth until finally he spilled his seed deep in his core, marking the passage as his.

As Ichigo caught his breath he let his body be turned over like a ragdoll until he was on his back and he was gazing up at Aizen, still balls deep inside him. Suddenly his mouth was being attacked with a passionate kiss that made him melt back into the mattress as their tongues danced, soft and wet until they broke apart again, panting slightly and smirking at one another. Ichigo really didn't know what to say so he said nothing, in fear he would ruin the moment.

Aizen gently repositioned him until they were resting in bed together at a more normal angle. Ichigo nestled his back into the other man's chest and arms till they were aligned perfectly in a warm, sweaty embrace. He smiled a bit at the thought of waking up like this, but his smile disappeared quickly as he remembered Sousuke had somewhere else to be once again.

"Shouldn't you…get going?" There was a long pause as Aizen didn't reply at first and instead lazily caressed Ichigo's firm thigh with typing-calloused fingers.

"Yes I suppose so if I'm going to make that flight." Aizen didn't make a move to leave his position, curled against the warm contours of the younger man. Lovers had come and gone and few had stayed interested in his work or himself as time went on. Their focus often shifted to crave the lifestyle being with a wealthy celebrity could provide. A few pure-hearted individuals who had been by his side in the past cared for none of that, but turned their backs once they became aware of his true nature.

But Ichigo was truly something special. He waited these 6 long months for any indication the boy would become a slave to a life of luxury. And the more Ichigo had rejected 5 star restaurants and luxurious vacations the more he wanted to shower the boy with everything. And now that he had begun to show Ichigo his true nature and still got an incredible lay out of it there was no way Aizen would let him slip through his fingers now. Idly he stroked the head of damp orange hair, taking in the savory scent of pheromones, ponding for a moment, then exhaling a demand.

"Come with me."

"Huh? Wait-you mean-?"

"Come with me to New York. You can sleep on the jet and I'll have an assistant alert the fundraiser to set another plate and my tailor to prep your suit."

"Suit-jet-plate…what?" Ichigo's sex-fogged brain was having difficulty comprehending that Sousuke was asking him to travel internationally for the first time and then attend a formal event by his side. "How can we even be sure the suit will fit?"

Sousuke laughed and kissed along the nape of his neck. "That's your first concern? I don't think you need any further proof you might be gay. And don't worry. I had a few special made for you about a month ago just in case."

"I…I've got essays due Monday."

"I'll help you write them on the flight back. Just remember to bring your laptop."

Ichigo blushed. He realized the potential weekend could be a lot like either his English teacher or eccentric billionaire fantasies.

"That…sounds nice actually. Can I at least get a shower in first?"

"Of course."

Aizen watched as Ichigo shuffled to the bathroom and then rested back on the touseled, crumpled pillows with an expression of pure tranquility. Trying to figure out how long it would take to blow out all those candles he scanned the room and his eyes landed on a clock on the nightstand he didn't recognize. He tilted it around until he could see the recording device hidden beyond the tinted plastic in the face. With a knowing smirk he grabbed his phone out of his trousers on the floor. Pressing a speed dial he waited for Kyouka to pick up.

"Are you finished yet? The car should be waiting already."

"Well, your preparations were certainly thorough. I'll need a hard and digital copy of that by the time I get back from New York."

"A hard copy? My my someone isn't keeping up with the times."

"I have a 72" screen and nothing to watch on it. Though make sure the disk is labeled with something inconspicuous like _User Setup Guide_ rather than _Ichigo's First Fuck_."

"You got it. Anything else while we're at it?"

"I've decided Ichigo will be joining me for the NYC trip. I trust you can iron out the details?"

"Ah so things are moving forward in the relationship? Does he know what an egotistical, maniacal, nefarious bastard you are?"

Aizen glanced at a framed watercolor a notable Norwegian artist had sent him portraying Cain and Abel during their battle in Nero's gladiatorial arena from volume two of _Infinity Mirror_.

"Yes, I think he's beginning to understand."

* * *

**The story is finished for now (and I think its a first complete out of all my stories, sheesh) but I've left it open so that it has potential to be continued and for more to be added between existing chapters. Now I have no idea what's going on with removing mature content so I'll see if anything happens to this. **

**Thanks for reading as always and please review since it sparks my motivation to finish my other stories. I got my first flame with this story so I guess that means I'm officially a fanfic writer now B)**


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